Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to a device and a method for uptake or release of a liquid.
Brief Description of the Related Art
Automated analyser systems for use in clinical diagnostics and life sciences are produced by a number of companies. For example, the Stratec Biomedical AG, Birkenfeld, Germany, produces a number of devices for specimen handling and detection for use in automated analyser systems and other laboratory instrumentation.
European Patent No. 1412759 B1 discloses a method for evaluating a liquid dosing process in a container, which is at least partially filled with a gas. According to the disclosed method, a temporal course of at least one state variable p of a medium contained in said container is determined essentially over the entire duration of the dosing process. The temporal course of the at least one state variable p is graphically or mathematically compared with a pre-determined state variable nominal range by means of a correlation method, and an evaluation result is obtained according to the results of the comparison.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,942 B1 describes liquid aspiration method, which includes a method for determining the quality of the aspirated sample through mathematical analysis of the pressure profile generated before, during, and after the aspiration process and comparison of the results with predetermined known values. The mathematical analysis is based on methods of numerical calculus.
European Patent No. 2009449 A1 discloses a method for controlling a pipetting process by calibrating a set of process variables applied during the pipetting. The calibrating is based on measuring a pressure time characteristic during dosing a liquid to be dosed using a reference set of process variables.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0196762 A1 discloses a system for delivering flow materials at constant flow rates by adjusting a pump and a flow regulator based on flow rate data delivered by a pressure sensor.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0090576 A1 discloses a method and an apparatus for dosing volumes of a liquid. The apparatus comprises a sensor for measuring a pressure inside a gas displacement system and a control unit for actuating a drive to displace the gas in the gas displacement system. The volume of liquid is determined by calculating a product of a measured pressure and an apparatus parameter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,675,301 discloses a dispensing apparatus for providing more accurate volume of dispensed liquid by controlling a pressurizing means within the dispensing container. A control system determines the difference of a stored signal and a sensed signal corresponding to a pressure within a container partially filled with the liquid, and produces a negative or a positive pressure difference if the absolute value of the determined difference exceeds a tolerance factor.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0127238 A1 discloses an apparatus for fluid flow control and metering. The apparatus comprises a flow sensing means and a controller to control output of a hydraulic fluid pressure means in order to maintain a constant differential pressure at the outlet of the flow sensing means and to provide nanoliter accuracy of microliter volumes.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0059215 A1 discloses a micro pipette sensing device comprising a micro pipette and a sensing device. The sensing device senses correct gas flow, gas displacement, or gas flow variation caused by leakage or mechanical clearance. An information receiving apparatus receives information from the sensing device in order to control the volume aspirated by feeding back information to the micro pipette.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0090704 A1 discloses a liquid flow controller and a precision dispense apparatus for controlling the flow rate of a fluid to be at a certain rate. The liquid flow controller comprises a fluid control valve between an inlet and an outlet of which a pressure drop is measured and converted into a flow rate of the controlled fluid. The measured flow rate is sent to a controller which modulated one or more valves to obtain a desired flow rate.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative device and a method for dosing the uptake or the release of a liquid.